Disclaimer: I don't own Alex Rider or any associated characters.
Thanks for the reviews of chapter 9. Also, huge thanks to abgrn29 and LondonianKnight. I'm pretty this chapter would be non-existent without their help, so thank you so very much! :)
Enjoy! Read and Review.
Warning: mentions of past torture may be graphic.
Alex pulled back from Cheetah's embrace. No one said anything about the slightly darker patch on Cheetah's shoulder, or the blotchy red around Alex's eyes, or the dry tear tracks. Alex scrubbed his hands over his face, and took a deep breath. He sniffled, biting his lip.
"Alex, look at me." Ben ordered softly, from where he had crouched beside the pair. Alex slowly turned and locked his gaze with Ben's. Concerned green pupils met raw brown ones. "Can you do this?"
Alex took a moment, breathing deeply, composing himself. He stood up, the three men rising with him, and squared his shoulders. Looking Ben straight in the eye, he nodded.
"Alright then, let's get this over with." Ben wrapped an arm around Alex and the pair made their way back into the conference room. He saw right through the brave front Alex had put up, and he was pretty sure, Snake and Cheetah did as well.
Ignoring the concerned gazes burning holes in his back, Alex continued forward and pushed the door open, Ben by his side. As he sunk down into the cool leather confine of the chair, Crawley leaned forward, pressed the dreaded button and the green light ceased its flashing and the interr- debriefing continued.
"What happened after you woke up, Alex?" Mrs. Jones prompted softly.
Alex took a shuddering breath as the memories assaulted him. It was as if someone was playing a high definition recording of those two torturous weeks in his mind.
"W-when I woke up I was in a small room, like a cell. It was dark and damp. My hands were still tied behind my back. I could hear them in the next room. They spoke in Latvian or Lithuanian or something. I don't know how much time passed, but someone came. They dragged me to a shed on the outskirts of the property." Alex's breath caught in his throat. He closed his eyes and took another shuddering breath. He felt a slight incline of pressure on his hand. He looked to his guardian, and down at their hands. Ben had slipped his hand into Alex's and was squeezing it reassuringly, letting him know he was there, and wasn't going anywhere. He locked gazes with Ben for a second time; the look of pure concern spoke volumes.
"What happened, Alex?" Jones pushed.
"They," Alex licked his suddenly dry lips. "They dragged me inside and they st-strapped me down on a table or something. And they left. They just walked out. I started drifting off. Then, the next thing I know, I'm soaked and there's some guy standing over me. He didn't say anything. He just grinned and cut my shirt open, then ran the blade down my chest. There was a guy in the corner; he asked the questions. When I wouldn't answer, the other one would drag the knife down my chest, or arms, or anywhere. He was always so, so meticulous about it. Eventually, they dragged me back to the room I was in before. I passed out before we even got half way back. The next time they did it, they strung me from the wall and beat the hell out of me." His voice cracked, and he sucked in a breath. Ben squeezed his hand tighter.
"What else, Alex?" Jones pushed, again. Alex sat there, sucking in as much oxygen as he could. It felt as though he was breathing through a straw.
"Th-they water boarded me a few times and sh-shoved my head in a bucket of water. They flogged me once, but I passed out too quickly, so they never did it again. Beat me up, repeatedly. They, they killed them." His voice was almost a whisper.
"Who?"
"T-Travis and Simmons, they shot them point blank in front me, because I wouldn't talk."
"What did they want?"
"They wanted to know about a woman, Juliette Faure. I told them I didn't know anything, but they wouldn't listen. I begged them to stop." Alex's voice cracked for a second time, and Ben wrapped his arms around the teen, holding him tight.
"We're almost finished, Alex." Jones spoke after a few moments. She took the manila folder proffered by Crawley and set it on the glossy surface of the table. She opened it to reveal several pages of photographs. Headshots. "We need you to look at these and tell us if any of them look familiar." She spun the folder and pushed it toward the teen. Alex pulled from Ben's grip and ran his eyes over the pictures. The first three pages revealed nothing but unfamiliar faces. Turning to the last page, Alex's breath caught. Sitting right in the centre of the page was the face of his tormentor. Unkempt, black hair, harsh, steel blue eyes, a scar stretching from hairline down to his chin and that feral, tooth showing grin. Alex swallowed and pointed to it.
"Him."
"Dmitri Yakovich," Crawley spoke for the first time. "He's known for doing the… dirty work for criminal organisations. Interrogator for hire. He's not known for his failures."
Ben glared at the stoic pair across from him. Wrapping an arm around Alex, he stood, pulling the blonde with him.
"We're done. You have your answers. We're leaving. Its okay, Al, you're safe. They can't hurt you anymore." He bent to whisper the last part into his traumatised ward's ear.
"Of course, Agent Daniels. As I said earlier Alex, it's good to have you back." Mrs. Jones rose, gathering the file.
Not long after the pair re-entered the room, had Cheetah and Snake resumed their on, off pacing. They didn't say anything; too busy planning the slow, painful demise of Jones, Crawley and those responsible for hurting their Cub. After what felt like an eternity, the door opened. Ben had his arm wrapped around Alex, whispering soft nothings to him, guiding him gently. The teen himself looked, quite simply put, terrified. His eyes were wide and glassy. His breaths were shaky. His movements were stunted. Cheetah and Snake paused, their eyes glued to the kid they thought a little brother of. Snake opened his mouth to say something but Ben stopped him with a shake of his head, mouthing 'later'. Snake nodded his understanding.
"C'mon, let's get out of here." The group made their way down the hall. They stopped dead in their tracks as two men, in handcuffs, being escorted down the hall, caught their attention. A ferocious grin spread across one of the men's faces.
"Hey Blondie," He purred. Alex paled to a corpse like pallor. Ben shoved Alex behind him, shielding him. An almost animalistic snarl escaped him. 'What is Jones bloody playing at?' He was seething.
"Get them out of here now!" He barked at the four guards. Nodding in terror, they pushed the men forward, continuing on their journey to the holding cells. Ben waited until they were out of sight, before turning to Alex. He crouched slightly, so he'd be eye level with him.
"Al, buddy, you ok?" Ben asked, worry dripping from his voice. "Alex?"
There was no response from the teen. His gaze was glued on the spot on which the men were standing. Tremors ran through his body, a sheen of sweat layered his forehead. Looking to Snake and Cheetah, he saw the same concerned gazes fixed on his ward. Snake didn't say anything; he simply stepped forward and scooped the teen into his arms. Ben shrugged off his jacket and tucked it around the teen. Alex had buried his head into Snake's shoulder. Thankful for the back exit, Ben led the way. Five minutes later, they were in the car. Ben driving, Cheetah in the passenger seat and Snake in the back, a near catatonic Alex beside him.